Water-cooling tank.



No. 672,504. Patented Apr. 23, I90l I I .1. WOLFENSPERGER.

WATER COOLING TANK.

(Application filed Oct. 24, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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PATENT JACOB WOLFENSPERGER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

WATER-COOLING TANK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 672,504, dated April23, 1901.

Application filed October 24, 1900. Serial No. 34,126- (No model-T Toall whom it may concern: V

Be it known that I, JAcoB Wo'LEENsPER- GER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water-CoolingTanks; and I do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, which will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in water-cooling tanks; and theimprovement consists in a tank provided with automatic means for keepingthe drinking-water therein at an even temperature, all substantially ashereinafter shown and described, and more particularly pointed out inthe claims.

In cooling-tanks; wherein Water and ice are contained for drinkingpurposes, it is desirable to keep the drinking-water at an eventemperature, preferably some degrees above the temperature of theice-water and yet cold enough to suit the taste of every one, but not socold as to be harmful.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of myimproved cooling apparatus, and Fig. 2 is a cross-section thereof online A A. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional View, enlarged, of thethermostat-tube connections.

The tank 2 is divided into two distinct and separate chambers orcompartments 3 and 4, which are respectively designed to hold icewaterand drinking-water at difierent temperatures, and these chambers areseparated by a double wall 5, spaced apart to form an air-space 6between them to prevent the icewater in chamber 3 from appreciablyafiecting the temperature of the drinking-water in compartment 4 unlesspermitted to come in direct contact, which is brought about at theproper time by the action of a valve 7, located in a passage 8, formedbetween walls 5 at the bottom of chamber 3. As shown, this valve 7 is ahinged flap-valve adapted to rest horizontally on a seat 9 to close thepassage 8 between chambers 3 and 4; but any other form of valveespecially adapted for this purpose may be used instead.

The present form of valve has a link 10, operatively connected with arm11, pivoted to the bottom wall 5, and an upright stem 12, pivoted to thefree end of arm 11, is adjustably fastened at its top end, by means ofthumb-screw 13, to an arm 14, hinged upon wall 5 in the upper part ofchamber4. The free end of this arm 14 connects with thevertically-movable head 15 of the alcohol-thermostat 16, and this head15 forms the closed end of the extensible and collapsible annularcorrugated rubber or other flexible tube 17, which is fastened at itslower end to the top of the rigid tube 18, forming an extension of thealcohol-chamber 19 of the thermostat. The flexible tube 17 is fastenedin place by a sleeve 20, threaded upon the tube 13 and is held andguided in its vertical movement by head 15 and depending stem 15. Theobject of this thermostat arrangement is to open and close valve 7through the intermediate connections whenever the Water in compartment 4becomes either too Warm or too cold. When the Water in compartment 4 isabove the desired temperature, the alcohol or other sensitive liquid inthe thermostat tubes and chamber 19 expands and rises and causes thecorrugated rubber tube 17 to extend and carry up its head 15, andthereby open valve 7, more orless, by means of the link-and-leverconnections. This allows cold water to flow into compartment 4 fromchamber 3 through passage 8, the cold water having a tendency to settleand displace and cool the warmer water until valve 7 is again closed bythe action of the thermostat. The effect of the cold water upon thealcohol in the thermostat causes suiiicient contraction of the liquidtherein to allow the rubber tube 17 and its head to collapse anddescend, the weight of the several parts throughout being sufficient toclose valve 7. The thum b-screw upon the end of rod 12 is used to adjustthe position of valve 7 in relation to its seat 9.

At the side and near the bottom of chamher 3 is a passage 21, leading tocompartment 4, and a hinged flap-valve 22, located therein, normallyrests on a seat 23 and is kept closed by its own weight to prevent theinflow of cold water from chamber 3 into compartment 4, but which allowsthe warmer water in the latter compartment to flow into chamber 3 andfurnish a constant supply theref0r,which is allowed to cool before againpassing into compartment 4: through valve 7. The chambers are filledfrom the top by raising hinged covers 24; but, if desired, suitablepiping having controlling-valves could be used to convey the water intothe tank.

When in use, chamber 3 becomes the icechamber, either by placing the icedirectly in the water therein or in a separate receptacle set into thewater in chamber 3, as seen in dotted lines, Fig. 1. In the latter casethe water in chamber 3 is cooled by contact with the ice-receptacleproper and the ice-waterin the receptacle does not mix with thedrinking-water, which is desirable in some instances, especially Wherethe ice itself is impure and full of foreign substances, as is often thecase.

In operation I find that when compartment 4 is filled with a freshsupply of drinkingwater, which is, say, about 72 temperature, thealcohol-thermostat will open valve 7, and chamber 3, into which the icehas previously been placed, fills up to a level with the water incompartment 4. Then as soon as the ice has cooled the Water in the tankto about 52 temperature the alcohol in the thermostattubes falls andallows valve 7 to close, and thereafter the drinking-water incompartment 4- is kept at substantially the same temperature, While theice-water in chamber 3 lowers in temperature to its full limit. As thedrinking-water in compartment 4: varies in degree oftemperature,corresponding effect will be had on the alcohol-thermostat,and valve 7 will be more or less opened and closed alternately, ashereinbefore described.

What I claim is"- 1. The water-tank comprising two separate chambershaving walled air-spaces between them, a Water-passage and valvetherefor connecting said chambers, and a thermostatic device havinglink-and lever connections to said valve all located and operatingwithin one of said chambers, substantially as described.

2. A water-cooling tank having two chambers for water of differenttemperatures, and a passage and valve therefor connecting said chambers,in combination with a thermostat 16 arranged at the bottom of thechamber containing the water of the highest tempera ture and havingoperating connecting mechanism leading to said valve, substantially asdescribed.

3. The tank 2 comprising the two distinct and separate chambers 3 and 4having an air space 6 between them, a connectingpassage at the bottom ofchamber 3 and a second pas= sage between said chambers above saidbottom, a self-closing valve in the second passage and a separate valvefor the bottom passage, a thermostat 16 in chamber 4 and pivotedlever-and-link connections for the bottom-passage valve operativelyattached to and actuated by said thermostat, substantially as described.

Witness my hand to the foregoing specification this 15th day of October,1900.

' JACOB WOLFENSPERGER.

Witnesses:

M. A. SHEEHAN, R. B. MOSER.

